This award celebrates the ability of the developer, owner or management team to: market their business park by new initiatives, maintain high occupancy levels, and consistently receive positive feedback from tenants. Judges will be looking for a clear demonstration of the ability of the business park to fulfil these criteria.

Exciting workplaces and successful businesses go together. The region is home to many companies across the digital, telecoms, pharmaceutical, professional and financial sectors. Open to any company from any business sector, this award seeks to reward those companies that have used their property strategy to create: quality, design-led working styles; increased productivity; innovative working environments; and, open, inclusive work cultures. Judges will want to see how the design of the workplace was approached and how it has created genuine productivity gains for the business. Entries can be made by the occupier, or by one of the advisory or design team with comment from the client.

This award is based on deal volumes, and will be presented to the consultancy that has completed the highest total of commercial deals in the office sector across the region during the 12-month period from January to December 2016.

This award is open to all property consultancies and celebrates the ability of the consultancy to take a client’s brief and ensure it is correctly managed and serviced. Entries must be supported by clear evidence of success, including testimonials from clients and other advisers involved with the deal, project or brief in question.

Judges are looking for a town (or city) and its management team (and advisers) that has implemented a successful town-centre strategy and has enhanced the brand. This could be by improving transportation links, implementing a regeneration plan that has created opportunities for economic growth, or a major new property investment that has changed the course of the town. The judges are aware that the region is the sum of its parts and therefore evidence of cross Borough and County collaboration is also an important measure of success. Entrants need to show that they have adopted a clear strategy for improvement that has enhanced the town over a period of time.

Successful housebuilders have to be aware of environmental issues, and a need for community engagement. The development has to have real economic benefit, respecting the environment and showing how good design can create places where people want to live, both young and old. The judges are looking for a housebuilder that incorporates these aspects into its completed schemes and consistently receives positive feedback from its customers.

This award focuses on the role of the real-estate executive or team – either in-house or outsourced, and in the private or public sectors. Nominations should demonstrate the implementation of best practice and show how a decisive property strategy can affect board decisions and ultimately improve productivity. Judges would like to see nominations from property consultants and suppliers who work with real-estate executives and can reflect the criteria requested above.

This award celebrates a project (office, mixed-use, residential or industrial) that has been recently completed, has funding or has just received planning consent. Judges will be looking at the funder’s/developer’s ability to create an exciting new development, which matches industry standards and will be seen as adding value to the region.

This award celebrates a project (office, mixed-use, residential or industrial) that has been recently completed, has funding or has just received planning consent. Judges will be looking at the funder’s/developer’s ability to create an exciting new development, which matches industry standards and will be seen as adding value to the region.

This award celebrates a ‘deal’ or transaction that by its size, importance or location makes a significant impact on the South Coast region. Such a deal often provides the confidence and momentum to ensure that the region remains buoyant and relevant.

Judges are looking for a law firm whose property team has had an exceptional year, either in terms of volume of work, quality of instructions, or both. Particular attention will be given to law firms that have instructed on complex deals during the year, or that have excelled in advisory work. Eligible law firms can have acted in the commercial property or residential property markets; and can have been instructed by developers, agents, occupiers, and/or investors. In reviewing submissions from law firms, judges will also pay attention to testimonials from clients.

Finalists:

Irwin Mitchell

Paris Smith

Outstanding Contribution sponsored by Pegasus Group

Winner: Dawn Baxendale, chief executive, Southampton City Council

This award is for a stand-out person who has promoted and created success in the execution of property strategy across the region and, more importantly, has been involved with the promotion of the South Coast as a great place in which to do business.

This award recognises the innovative use of brownfield sites as well as strong architectural design and the developer’s approach to environmental issues. Judges will consider how the particular area has been revitalised for those who live and/or work there, and the investment and/or ROI of the project.

Small schemes will be considered, as will large-scale town or city regeneration projects. Schemes can be nominated by architects, planners, developers or agents.

Premier law firm Blake Morgan, which sponsors the category, said: “We are delighted to sponsor one of the categories at these awards, which will provide a platform for real-estate businesses in the region to celebrate the achievements being made in our industry.

“As sponsor of the Regeneration Project of the Year we are particularly keen to celebrate the changing face of our region. We look forward to supporting this event while also having the opportunity of meeting contacts, new and old.”

A new category, this Award recognises architectural practices which not only deliver consistently high quality and award-winning design, but also excellent service levels to clients; practices which are able to demonstrate that they embrace BIM and sustainability, and invest in the training and mentoring of their staff.

Architectural Practice of the Year is open to both small and large practices, and judges will be looking for innovative approaches to developing high-quality BIM-led information for build, evidenced by a successful project or portfolio of schemes.

McCarthy & Stone, the UK’s leading retirement living developer and sponsor of the Award, said: “We believe practices which show that BIM is at the centre of their delivery put themselves at the forefront of the industry – both at a regional and national level – and their ability to face the challenges of this dynamic industry can only be good for clients.”